Brad Haddin responds to Sunil Gavaskar’s criticism of foreign opinions on India’s Asia Cup squad selection. Haddin defends his stance on Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion, emphasizing his role as a commentator and his surprise at Iyer’s omission.
Former Australia wicketkeeper-batter and Punjab Kings’ assistant coach, Brad Haddin, responded to the criticism by ex-India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar on foreign players’ opinions on India’s squad selection for the Asia Cup 2025. On August 19, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-member squad for the continental event during the press conference at the board’s headquarters.
Following the squad announcement, there were massive discussions and debates over the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the roster, despite their brilliant performances in the IPL. However, former international cricketers, including AB de Villiers and Brad Haddin, voiced their opinions on India’s squad selection, especially the surprise exclusion of Iyer.
This did not go down well with Sunil Gavaskar, who expressed his bewilderment over ‘foreigners’’ say in India’s squad selection, adding that they have no stake in Indian cricket and should refrain from passing judgment on decisions that do not concern them. He further urged the foreigners to focus on their country’s cricket, adding that India does not indulge in the discussion n the discussion or critique of other nations’ team selections.
‘Our job is to give an opinion’
Reacting to the criticism by the Indian batting legend, Brad Haddin defended his stance on Shreyas Iyer’s Asia Cup snub, stating that he was just giving his opinion on what’s happening in the world of cricket. Having worked with Shreyas Iyer as assistant coach at Punjab Kings, Haddin expressed his ‘shock’ over his exclusion from the India squad.
“Our job is to give an opinion on what’s topical in world cricket. That’s what we do. We coached him (Iyer) in the IPL, and I stand by my take. I was shocked that he wasn’t in the squad, and I am not saying the other players selected shouldn’t be there,” a former Australian cricketer said on LiSTNR Sport
“The reason I say that is because just the way he handled our group, he was a great leader and the way he played under pressure, leading from the front. But, yeah, they are obviously going well even with players like him on the sideline,” he added.
Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion was a big topic of discussion after the squad selection, as many questioned the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee’s decision-making. Iyer had a great run of form in the IPL 2025, amassing 604 runs in IPL 2025 while leading Punjab Kings to their first final in 11 years, but lost to first-time champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Iyer was also part of the India squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, where he was the highest run-getter for the side with 243 runs, including 2 fifties, at an average of 48.60 in five matches.
India’s preparation for the Asia Cup 2025
After the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the Oval, where Team India pulled off a dramatic six-run victory over England on the final day, resulting in a 2-2 series draw, India have not played any international fixtures since then. However, players selected for the Asia Cup 2025 are currently playing in local T20 leagues and domestic tournaments.
Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh are currently playing in the Kerala Cricket League and the UP T20 League, respectively, while Kuleep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana recently played for their respective zonal teams in the quarterfinals of the Duleep Trophy. Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the semifinal to focus on preparations for the 2025 Asia Cup.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and others have cleared their fitness tests before the Asia Cup 2025. India squad will leave for Dubai on September 5, as the Men in Blue will begin their title defence against the UAE on September 10.